Tribunal dismisses petitions against Wamakko, 2 Reps

The National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunals in Sokoto State on Friday dismissed three petitions against the elections of Sen. Aliyu Wamakko (APC-Sokoto North), Reps. Abdussamad Dasuki, and Bala Hassan.

Wamakko is representing Sokoto North Senatorial District on the platform of the APC, while Dasuki of the PDP is representing Tambuwal/Kebbe Federal Constituency.

Hassan is also representing Sokoto North/Sokoto South Federal Constituency on the platform of the APC.

In a unanimous judgement read by the Tribunal Chairperson, Justice Josephine Oyefeso, on behalf of Justices Haruna Muhammad and Eke Eze, upheld the elections and dismissed the petitions for lack of merit.

Oyefeso said the petitioners were unable to prove the allegations contained in the petitions beyond reasonable doubts as required by law.

She said the burden of proving a petition solely relied on the petitioners, adding that the witnesses and exhibits presented were not tangible enough to contradict the electoral body's decisions.

Supreme News reports that the former Deputy Governor of the State, Alhaji Manniru Dan’iya, who was the PDP candidate during the Feb. 25 election, had challenged the return of Wamakko.

He also prayed for the tribunal to declare him the legitimate winner and duly elected senator.

Dan-iya argued that Wamakko was not qualified to contest the election as he did not attach copies of his credentials while completing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) forms, and the election flouted electoral guidelines.

Bala Kokani of the APC also challenged the election of Dasuki on the grounds that he did not score the majority of lawful votes cast during the Feb. 25 election.

Kokani prayed the tribunal to declare him the winner as the candidate who scored the majority of lawful votes or order the conduct of supplementary elections as the election was marred by violence and other irregularities.

Abubakar Abdullahi, the candidate of the PDP during the election, challenged the election of Hassan on the grounds that the election was marred by irregularities and Hassan was not qualified to contest the said election.